Category: Authoritarianism

COVID-19 highlights lack of democratic resilience

     

The number of countries “knocking on China’s door” will give Beijing’s soft power a boost, according to one expert, The Washington Post reports.  “There is no European solidarity,” said Elias… Read more »

Why autocratic power grabs ‘may bode well’ for democracy

     

Even in an age of widespread disillusionment with democracy, a universally appealing alternative has yet to emerge, note analysts Adam E. Casey and Seva Gunitsky. The turn to personalism, for all the… Read more »

Cuba creating a Venezuelan dictatorship in its own image

     

Much has been written about the Cuban regime’s infiltration of Venezuela, its meddling and direct participation in government institutions and organisms, notes international human rights lawyer Tamara Suju (above), the… Read more »

Pandemic polarization: Don’t blame ‘China’ – blame Chinese Communist Party – for coronavirus

     

The United States has accused China, Russia and Iran of carrying out disinformation campaigns related to the coronavirus pandemic, in what is an apparent effort to sow fear and confusion,… Read more »

Why democracies handle crises better than authoritarians

     

An independent democracy advocacy organization is warning that authoritarian regimes are using the global coronavirus outbreak to suppress freedoms of speech and restrict fundamental rights outside of the scope of… Read more »

Combating Populism: A Toolkit for Liberal Democratic Actors

     

  The factors fueling populism are likely to persist; populism will be a fixture of politics for the foreseeable future, according to a new analysis. Given this outlook, liberal democratic… Read more »

Could coronavirus trigger backsliding and ‘reshape global order’?

     

Washington cannot simply ignore the need for a coordinated global response to the coronavirus pandemic. Only strong leadership can solve global coordination problems related to travel restrictions, information sharing, and… Read more »

How to deal with authoritarian states?

     

Five experts respond to Svante E. Cornell’s essay, “How Should America Deal with Authoritarian States?” and discuss the legacy of Jeane Kirkpatrick for policymakers today, The American Interest writes. This… Read more »

Iran, China and Venezuela called out on human rights abuses

     

Authoritarian regimes are suppressing peoples’ democratic aspirations with severe human rights “violations and abuses” to hinder any actions that threaten established power, according to the new U.S. State Department’s 2019 Country… Read more »